Dental Implants in Greenwood, IN - Center Grove Family Dentistry
Until you lose a tooth, you may not realize how much you value a healthy smile. Luckily, dental implants provide an excellent long-term tooth replacement option. Here's how:
Implants are the only option that replace tooth roots
Bridges and dentures close the gap in your mouth, but unlike dental implants, they don't reach below your gums. Dental implants, which look like tiny screws, are placed in a hole in your jawbone during a minor surgical procedure. Over the course of approximately three to six months, your implant begins to bond with your jawbone in a process called osseointegration. Once the process is complete, your implant is just as strong as the roots it replaced.
Dental implants offer several benefits
Because dental implants actually take the place of your missing roots, they offer advantages that other options don't, such as:
- A Stable Foundation for Your Crown: After osseointegration occurs, your Gainesville dentist attaches a crown to your implant. The crown takes the place of your tooth above the gum line and looks very natural. Poorly fitting bridges or dentures can cause gum irritation if they slip when you bite and chew. Because your implant bonds to your jawbone, it provides a very stable foundation for your crown, and you never have to worry about irritation due to slippage.
- A Better Option for Your Budget: The initial cost of a dental implant can be higher than a bridge or dentures, but it's important to consider the lifetime costs of each option. With proper care, your implant will never need to be replaced, but you'll probably need to replace your bridge or dentures several times during your lifetime.
How Dental Implants Work
Benefits of Dental Implants:
- Dental implants look completely natural
- Dental implants are cleaned by simple brushing and flossing
- Dental implants won’t ever move around
- Dental implants can last throughout your lifetime
- Dental implants won’t ever decay and they resist stain
Benefits of Dental Implants
Unlike other dental restorations, implants are designed to be permanent. Once they have healed successfully, they are virtually indistinguishable from your natural teeth. Like natural teeth, they require meticulous oral hygiene and regular dental exams and professional dental cleanings to help prevent infections and gum disease. Implants are the only restoration that help to prevent bone loss in your gums. An implant can be used to replace a single tooth, or a set of dentures — with just a few implants! If you are in good overall health and have enough bone density, dental implants may be a good option for you.
Another important benefit of dental implants is that they also help you retain the youthful fullness and contours of your face, especially your firm jawline. Your body produces more bone to fuse with the implant and the increased bone production fills out your facial contours. You won’t have the sunken, sagging look of someone who wears dentures for a long time.